Loosen-Yer-Belt Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing

"Stymied at being able to replicate my mom's cornbread stuffing, we have developed this recipe - enough to stuff a big bird & have an additional dish to bake outside the bird. We make such a big batch because the dressing is DECIMATED fast& we get so many requests for the recipe from guys & gals!! This is sagey - if you are not a sage lover, reduce it to 1 tsp. The currants do not make it sweet but add a lovely nuance as do the pecans, water chestnuts & cranberries. Can be made vegan with omission of eggs, butter & vegetable broth used instead of chicken broth - turns out almost as well. Mix in a BIG mixing container to keep the stuffing light & fluffy with addition of liquids. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Note - I do all the chopping a night or two BEFORE Thanksgiving & store in Ziploc in the fridge to speed this up on Thanksgiving am. Then I can wake up more before I start welding a knife! LOL! *****program inserts "prepared" before stuffing but I mean 16 ounces dry weight, eg. 1 package, dry."
 
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photo by headworms photo by headworms
photo by headworms
photo by heather5461 photo by heather5461
Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
16
Serves:
16
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ingredients

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directions

  • In a BIG bowl, add both bags of stuffing mix.
  • Chop the onions, celery, water chestnuts (coarse chop), pecans, cranberries & parsley and combine with the stuffing mixes in the BIG bowl.
  • Toss with your hands to mix well.
  • Add sage, rosemary, thyme, pepper & toss again.
  • Break eggs into a smaller bowl. Whisk to mix until uniformly yellow.
  • Add 2 cups of chicken broth to eggs & mix.
  • Melt 2 ounces of butter & mix into eggs & broth (do not melt butter too hot or it'll cook eggs).
  • Pour eggs & butter broth into BIG bowl of stuffing mix & gently mix with your hands (No Smushing, just lightly, lightly fluffing).
  • Add enough additional broth to get an evenly moistened (not drippy or gloppy) mix.
  • If using as stuffing, use this mix to loosely stuff your bird (don't forget to stuff the front where the neck used to be - makes for a nice presentation as he/she cooks).
  • Place remainder in lasagne pan (goal - no more than 2 inches thick in pan).
  • Melt remaining 2 ounces of butter & mix with an additional cup of broth. Drizzle over pan of stuffing. Cover pan with tight-fitting aluminum foil & bake @ 325 degrees for 25 nminutes covered & 15 minutes uncovered for a nice crust - adding more broth along the way to prevent drying out (but do not want mush either).

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Reviews

  1. I took out sage pepper raisins and pecans. I sort of took my own path on this recipe. I didn’t feel like the top was crispy enough so I ended up using broil for a few minutes. Overall I think it turned out fairly good. I like a bit of a dry stuffing, this was sorta the perfect mix.
     
    • Review photo by heather5461
  2. I have been making this stuffing every time I cook a turkey for the last 8 years. My friends and family ask me to not forget to make it. I usually leave out the water chestnuts and add in diced cooked gizzard, heart, and neck meat. I definitely recommend prepping the ingredients the night before. I highly recommend trying this recipe at least once!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>First about Buster: Buster moved onto whatever comes next on February 26, 2008. He was just shy of five years old. I miss him terribly. <br />He came into our lives when he ran out in front of my car late one night as I was driving home. A just under 4 pound ball of kitten fluff, complete with an ostrich boa tail that stayed straight up as he assessed his new domain. He became a 19 pound longhaired beast who guarded our house (he followed any new guests or servicepeople the entire time they are on the property) &amp; even killed copperheads (among other things with his hunting buddy, Fergus the short-tailed)! Friends never saw his formidible side as he smiled at them &amp; uttered the most incongruent kitten-like mews as he threaded legs! He liked to ride in the car &amp; came to the beach. <br />There are Buster-approved recipes in my offerings - however, HE decided which he wanted to consider - Buster demonstrated he liked pumpkin anything - ALOT -LOL!!! <br /> <br />Copperhead count 2006 - Buster 2 <br /> (10 inchers w/yellow tails) <br /> 2007 - Buster &amp; Roxie 1 <br /> (a 24 incher!) <br />Buster woken from beauty sleep - <br />http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/62264/DSCN0335.JPG <br />Big whiskers - <br />http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/62264/DSCN0333.JPG <br /> <br />For those of you who gave kind condolences - thank you so very much. <br />http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=250301 <br /> <br /> <br />I love to cook &amp; incorporate techniques from Southern/Mid Atlantic roots (grits, eastern NC BBQ shoulders, Brunswick stew, steamed crabs &amp; shrimp &amp; shellfish, hushpuppies, cornbread, greens, shad roe, scrapple) with Pacific Rim foods &amp; techniques aquired while living in Pacific Northwest, fish &amp; game recipes learned while living in Rocky Mountain region &amp; foods/techniques learned travelling to the Big Island &amp; up into BC &amp; Alberta &amp; into the Caribbean. The Middle Eastern/African likes I have are remnants of my parents who lived for many years in North Africa &amp; Mediterranean before I was thought of. Makes for wide open cooking! <br /> <br />Since moving back east we try to go annually in the deep winter to Montreal (Old Montreal auberges &amp; La Reine) &amp; Quebec City (Winter Carnival &amp; Chateau Frontenac)- for unctuous foie gras &amp; real cheeses, French &amp; Canadian meals prepared &amp; served exquisitely, fantastic music &amp; wonderful people - with the cold helping burn off some of the calories! <br /> <br />I love putting in our aluminum jonboat &amp; heading across the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) to the barrier islands for foraging &amp; exploring! Bodysurfing is a lifelong sport for me - one that a person's body never seems to forget how to do, once the knack is learned (thank goodness!) <br /> <br />I especially miss cool summers &amp; foggy/drizzly days &amp; fall mushroom foraging/anytime of year hot springing in WA, OR, MT, ID, BC &amp; Alberta.</p>
 
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